All around Illinois – and throughout the world – people have adapted their eating habits to stay-at-home orders created in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Family meals are now commonplace. With the additional cooking duties, experienced home cooks are becoming amateur chefs and non-cookers are becoming accomplished home cooks. (Source: TheChoppingBlock.com) But new (and … more
I can’t believe that I am still getting this question from the parents of adolescent ER patients who have overdosed on medications or drugs. “Pumping a stomach” ( also known by the fancy medical term gastric lavage ) was commonplace in the 1960’s to the early 1990’s, but has not been used extensively in nearly 20 … more
Why you should never ever induce vomiting The first 5 years I worked at the IPC, I was a CSPI and answered calls from the general public and health care professionals. I would always joke with my fellow CSPIs that we used the word ‘vomit’ more times in a day than most people probably do … more
It’s that time of year when many people set out to better themselves; the turn of the calendar gives us a fresh start and a clean slate. Here are two resolutions that have the potential for toxicity and some IPC-recommended resolutions as well.
As part of my reconnaissance for writing this post, I polled my Facebook friends and asked, “What do you think is the most toxic thing about the Holidays”? One of my favorite replies was, “relatives”. Well, unfortunately that is more “Dear Prudence’s” purview than my own, but below you will find some information on what … more
With all the fun and excitement of gift shopping and exchanging this holiday season, it is easy to buy the coolest toys and games, but some of them may be dangerous in small hands. We want to point out two items that if swallowed by a child (or anyone for that matter) could lead to … more
If you are a babysitter/sitter/nanny, or ever entrust your precious progeny to one of them, then this article is for you. About half of the IPC’s 80,000 exposures every year involve kids age 5 and under, and more than 90% of all exposures happen in the home. I think we all would agree that keeping … more
A common Halloween concern, aside from the occasional ghoul and goblin, is the possibility of a child or family member being exposed to tainted candy. However, we recently came across some products and practices in the news that could present new concerns this Halloween. Here are a few that really stuck out: marijuana shaped candy, … more
There are just way too many “My Child Ate…” scenarios for us to write about! However here are a few honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the “My Child Ate…” series but are just as important: “My Child Ate… The Dog’s Food” Although it might be uberly gross to discover that your child has forgone … more
Welcome to the IPC’s second installment of the “my child ate…” blog series. Last week Mike explored the dangers of prescription medications, and this week I am going to talk about stuff kids eat that is really, really gross. Like poop, for example. Do kids really eat poop, you may ask? They sure do. All … more
Over the next 4 weeks the IPC staff will contribute some of their most compelling cases from the call center that often start with three words, “my child ate…” We hope you enjoy this blog series, and we encourage you to share your own “My Child Ate…” stories or your poison center experience. There is a burgeoning fascination with … more
23 percent of teens report taking prescription pain relievers not prescribed to them. As a medical toxicologist, I see the effects of prescription pain medication abuse in teens and young adults on a daily basis. As a parent of a 10 and 12 year old, I worry about their future, peer pressure, and possibly their … more
Temperatures are warm, the sun is shining and kids are out of school. Summertime is “outside time”, so read on for tips to keep your family safe while outdoors! Plants and Mushrooms Learn the names of all the plants in your garden and landscaping, and label them with both their common and botanical names (tip: bring … more
New Pediatric Acetaminophen Dosing Guidelines and Formulation Changes If you are in tune to healthcare and medical news stories, you probably already know that overdosing or chronically using too much of the popular non-aspirin product called acetaminophen may cause serious and possibly even fatal liver damage.
If that second cup of coffee you just had doesn’t keep you awake tonight, here’s something that might. A recent issue of Pediatrics reviewed the effects of caffeine and energy drinks on children, adolescents, and young adults and found several concerning conclusions. Did you know that over 500 new energy drink products were marketed worldwide … more
Poisoning still remains a very serious public health problem in the United States. People encounter poisonous and toxic substances in their homes, communities, and work environments every day. Did you know unintentional poisoning deaths are the #1 cause of injury-related deaths for children ages 18-36 months and the 2nd leading cause of injury-related deaths for U. S. adults? … more
Mr. Yuk is green, Mr. Yuk is mean! The logo and the saying are a part of poison prevention lore. Created in Pittsburgh in 1971 (yes, 2011 is the 40th anniversary of the iconic logo), it was to replace the more traditional poison symbol of the skull and crossbones . . . a symbol … more
Have you ever noticed the bold statement on the label of your toothpaste tube: “WARNING: Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately?” Pretty scary, huh? Especially when this stuff is supposed to … more
…At No Cost To You! Who says Cyber Monday is the only time you can shop online to find great deals?! Did you know that by making every day and holiday purchases online via iGive.com, a percentage of your total will be donated to the IPC? Yes indeed. This means that every purchase you make on … more
By Art Kubic, PharmD and IPC Call Center Specialist It’s that time of year again! Fall is finally here. Time for pumpkins, corn mazes, apple cider, leaves (and the subsequent raking/leaf blowing), and one of my absolute favorite holidays—Halloween! With trick-or-treating season right around the corner, now is the time to start making plans to … more
By Tony No, this is not our attempt to make shameless PG-rated “bathroom humor.” I haven’t conducted any studies nor am I equipped with any concrete statistics; all I have is my 30 years of observations as a certified toxicologist and those of other Illinois Poison Center call center staff. Yet I ask you to … more
How to manage and prevent harmful chemical exposures to the eye By: Tony Burda and Robert Redwood ( 4th Year Medical Student at RUMC) When you think of the type calls received by a Poison Control Center, you probably think of poisonings such as a child tasting rat poison or eating several handfuls of chewable vitamins or taking several bites of … more
A Grandparent’s Guide to Poison Prevention By Tony “Grandman” Burda and Grazina Janeliauskaite Two recent developments have spurred us to address the importance of diligent poison prevention by grandparents of small children. On September 9 2010, the PEW Research Center released a report entitled “Since the Start of the Great Recession, More Children Raised by … more
Tony Burda DABAT and Sheri VanOsdol Pharm.D. Recently the Illinois Poison Center (IPC) received a call from a parent whose toddler ingested some contents of an e-cigarette cartridge containing nicotine. We could find very little information addressing the accidental poisoning potential of these products in children, so we thought we’d share some information with you based … more
By Tony Burda DABAT and Sheri VanOsdol Pharm.D. The incidence of bee stings tends to rise during the late summer and fall. Recently, a suburban Chicago greenhouse worker died from a suspected reaction to a bee sting. This unfortunate incident prompted us to summarize some simple first aid tips in the event that you are … more
